These Women Have Staked Their Claims as Top Lead Guitarists

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Sister Rosetta Tharpe began singing and playing the guitar in church at just four years old. After she moved to Chicago, she became widely influential in the gospel scene, and her 1939 hit, "This Train," was an instant chart topper. Her instrument of choice is a 1961 Gibson SG.

The Great Kat

The Great Kat is, literally, a "belligerent self-promoter with zero patience for crap guitar technique." She's a no-nonsense force. A Juilliard-trained violinist who specializes in speed-metal readings of classical pieces, she's probably the fastest guitarist of all time. She plays on ehr own Cook KAT Signature.